Clones for Food: EC Breaking its Own Rules?

EU - An animal welfare group has claimed that The European Commission is breaking its own rules with a wait and see approach to animal cloning. The group claims that cloning harms animal welfare.

Eurogroup for Animals, which represents animal welfare organisations from all over Europe, will be filing a complaint of maladministration against the European Commission with the European Ombudsman.

By delaying action on the cloning of animals for food, the Commission has failed to respect the EU directive for the protection of farm animals, which states that reproduction techniques which cause animals to suffer cannot be used.

Commissioners decided yesterday in Strasbourg to once again put off submitting a proposal, claiming more scientific answers were needed as well as a debate with international trading partners. Eurogroup for Animals is appalled by this wait-and-see approach as all the scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that cloning is harmful for the animals.

Eurogroup director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "We are shocked that the Commission is disrespecting its own rules because it values trade relations over the welfare of animals and the wishes of consumers. The Commission has let down animals and people by failing to propose a ban on the cloning of animals for food. The wasteful practice has been shown to cause animals to suffer at every stage, yet the Commission has chosen to ignore all the scientific evidence, the majority of Europeans who are against it, as well as the advice of the EU's own institutions.

"Eurogroup will be calling on member states to apply the directive for the protection of farm animals and introduce national bans if the Commission continues to do nothing."